The Holy Grail of Fried Chicken

“This is it, the holy grail of fried chicken. It puts every other piece of fried chicken I have eaten to shame,” says Morton the Mousse. “How do they achieve perfection? Small farm birds, twelve hour brine, long buttermilk soaking, fresh herbs in the batter, perfect fry technique. I may never eat fried chicken anywhere else for as long as I live, because I know it will not live up to Ad Hoc.”

The crust is perfect: thick, crispy, and completely ungreasy, with the ideal balance of pepper and fresh herbs. The meat is perfect: tender, juicy, and flavorful, with every piece cooked to the exact point of doneness—the breast meat is as good as the thigh.

Most other dishes are excellent, too: There is fantastic baby iceberg wedge salad with Hobbs bacon, exquisite cherry tomatoes, pickled onions, and herb cream. Creamed spinach is also great.

The cheese course is superb, with some rarities you won’t be able to find anywhere else. What really impressed Morton was the pairings—in this case, Beecher’s reserve cheddar paired with plum-blackberry jam and toasted almonds. Where cheese-course accompaniments are so often extraneous, Ad Hoc makes the plate beautiful and whole.